


Desert Stars

by fauxghost



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Conspiracy Theories, Eventual Fluff, Galaxy Garrison, Humor, Keith's Shack, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Rivals to Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-05 19:57:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15178190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fauxghost/pseuds/fauxghost
Summary: “They’re hiding something, and I’m going to figure out what it is."Galaxy Garrison cadets Lance, Hunk, and Pidge team up with dropout Keith to investigate what really happened on the failed Kerberos mission. Somewhere between late night adventures and desert getaways, Lance falls in love.





	1. Light the match and fuel the fire

Lance felt his heart pounding faster with every corridor he raced down, the blood in his veins on fire. The adrenaline rush was almost like flying.

From behind him, Hunk whispered, “Did I mention this is a bad idea?

Expertly, Lance peeked around a corner, scanning the hallway. He motioned for Hunk to keep moving once he saw that the coast was clear. “Only six times. But who’s counting?”

Hunk gave him an exasperated look. “Listen, I love a good midnight snack as much as the next guy, but we could get in serious trouble for this.”

“Not if we don’t get caught!” Lance replied, giddily tip-toeing further down the dark halls of the Galaxy Garrison.

He grinned as Hunk reluctantly followed him. This was what life at the Garrison should be all about - becoming the top fighter pilot, making memories, and going on crazy adventures. _Well._ The top fighter pilot thing was a work in progress. And maybe some wouldn’t count sneaking to the kitchens for a midnight snack as a mind-blowing adventure, but Lance was never one to miss an opportunity for a little excitement.

“Someone’s coming!”

Hunk’s frantic voice stopped Lance in his tracks. He heard the footsteps too, but a patrol guard shouldn’t have been coming their way for another minute or so. Quickly, Lance and Hunk retreated behind a corner. They had no time to run and nowhere to hide. All they could do was hope that whoever it was would turn down the opposite hall. Hunk was shaking in his Garrison-issued boots, while Lance was imagining what kind of trouble they would be in if they got caught. The worst that could happen was a trip to the principal’s office, and maybe getting chewed out by Iverson. (Again.)

The footsteps were much lighter than a patrol guards, and they stopped right before reaching Hunk and Lance. A familiar voice cut through the silence. “I know you guys are there.”

“Pidge! Oh, what a relief!” Hunk stepped out from behind the corner, the tension leaving his body. “I thought we were doomed!”

“How did you know it was us? Have you been following us?” Lanced questioned, narrowing his eyes.

The smaller cadet shrugged. “Hunk, you have the stealth of an bull in a china shop, no offense. And Lance, you were whispering too loudly.”

Lance huffed. “I thought we snuck out without waking you up. What are you doing out here, anyway?”

“None of your business.”

Pidge Gunderson was still a mystery to Lance. He had been assigned to Lance’s team a few weeks ago, and despite Lance’s attempts reach out to him, Pidge had always been standoffish towards him. Towards everyone, come to think of it. Lance had even invited him to their midnight snack foray, but he said, quote, _“I’m not here to waste time and mess around.”_

“Actually, it _is_ my business.” Lance insisted. “We’re supposed to bond as a team, right Hunk?”

“Listen, guys,” Hunk cut in nervously. “I’m all for team bonding-”

“Thank you.”

“-but there’s a patrol guard coming our way.”

 _Shit._ Now that it was quiet, Lance could hear the guard’s footsteps getting closer by the second. They were gonna have to make a break for it, but if the guard heard them running, it would be game over.

“You guys seriously owe me one.” Pidge whispered. Without further explanation, he grabbed Lance and Hunk and pulled them into a nearby supply closet the other boys hadn’t noticed. Lance cringed as Pidge pulled the door shut - it made the slightest of clicking noises, but it might as well have been a gunshot, ringing out in the silence. All three cadets held their breath as the patrol guard came closer… and slowly walked past the door. No one moved until the guard’s heavy footsteps were out of their hearing range.

It was all Lance could do to hold in a victory yelp. “We did it! Now that’s what I call team bonding!”

“You’re welcome.” Pidge sounded annoyed, but Lance thought he detected a little fondness in his eyes.

Hunk let out a shaky breath. “I think that was enough adventure for tonight. Can we go to sleep now?”

“No way, buddy. Not before Pidge lets us in on what he’s doing.”

“What I’m doing,” Pidge answered with a low, humorless voice, “is highly dangerous, top secret, and could potentially get me kicked out of the Garrison. I don’t think you want to be involved.”

Hunk and Lance exchanged puzzled glances. That hadn’t been the response they were expecting. Pidge sounded… serious.

“ _Whoa_.” Hunk whispered. “Are you a spy or something?”

“I work for no one.” Pidge said, as if that was a satisfying answer.

Supposedly dangerous or not, this was exactly the kind of adventure Lance was looking for. “You gotta let us in on this, man. What are you doing that’s so dangerous?”

Pidge didn’t miss a beat. “I’m breaking into high-security rooms, hacking into classified files, and solving a mystery. Can you leave me alone now?”

“Damn.” He grinned. “We were just getting a midnight snack, but that sounds way cooler!”

Even in the dim lightning, Lance recognized Hunk’s wide-eyed look and nervous posture. “Wait, hacking into classified files? Are you for real?”

“Completely. And if you blow my cover, I’ll make sure you guys get kicked out too.”

“What mystery are you trying to solve? We could help you!” Lance tried not to sound too eager, but he couldn’t help it. He came to the Garrison to prove himself, to be a hero, and solving a mystery sounded right up his alley.

For a second, Pidge almost looked tempted, but then he shook his head. “It would be better if you didn’t know. Hunk’s right, you should probably just head back to the barracks.”

That was all Hunk needed to hear. He promptly headed for the door, but Lance stepped in front of it before he could get there. “Hold on, buddy, this could be our biggest adventure yet!”

“I don’t want to go on some life threatening adventure.” He replied. “We could get in serious trouble.”

“Hey, I never said anything about life threatening.” Pidge said. After considering it for a second, he continued, “At least I hope not.”

“Yep, that’s it. I’m out of here.” Hunk pushed past Lance and reached for the doorknob.

“Wait! One more minute, buddy. Please.” Lance sighed in defeat. “At least tell us about the mystery, Pidge. My curiosity is actually going to eat me alive.”

Slowly, Pidge looked at Lance, then Hunk, then back to Lance, with an analytical expression. “I think I can trust you two. But you have to swear not to tell anyone.”

“I swear,” Lance said, and then for dramatic effect added, “on my life.”

Hunk still looked worried, but he gave in. “Fine. I swear on all things sweet and savory, I’ll keep your secret.”

Pidge raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“It’s the strongest oath I can make.” Hunk responded, nodding gravely.

Lance couldn’t wait any longer. “Okay! We’ve sworn. Now what’s the mystery?”

After taking a deep breath, Pidge launched into an explanation that was about to change Lance’s life forever. “I came here to investigate the truth behind the Kerberos mission. I have strong reasons to believe that Garrison officials have been lying to the public about what really happened. They claimed the mission failed due to ‘pilot error’, but refused to elaborate on what went wrong. They’ve been so secretive that they wouldn’t even give the mission members’ families any details. I know they’re covering something up, and I’ll do whatever it takes to find out what really happened.”

It was silent for a long time, until Lance spoke up. “I want to help you investigate.”

“You actually believe him?” Hunk blurted out. “No offense, Pidge, but this whole thing sounds crazy.”

“I don’t know what I believe yet.” Lance answered honestly. Of course he trusted the Galaxy Garrison - his entire future depended on it. Yet there was something so earnest about Pidge’s words. “But we’re a team. We should stick together.”

For the first time ever, Pidge looked slightly timid. His eyes were hopeful but hesitant. “You really want to help, Lance?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“I’ve been alone for so long, I…” Pidge seemed to be struggling to get his thoughts together. “I went into this thinking I wouldn’t need any help. I thought I could do it on my own. But I’m starting to realize, well… I don’t want to be alone anymore. I’ve been keeping this secret for too long, and I’m tired of shutting you guys out. I could really use your help. Yours too, Hunk.”

Hunk looked unsure, but Lance could tell he was warming up to the idea. “But… what help could I be?”

Jumping in, Lance exclaimed, “Don’t sell yourself short, man! Your engineering skills are insane, and you never know when they could come in handy. Plus, your delicious baked goods are great for morale. Not to mention, you’re on the good side of so many Garrison workers. You can be our man-on-the-inside!”

Pidge nodded enthusiastically.

Hunk smiled a soft smile he usually reserved for small children and the aforementioned baked goods. “Okay. I’m in.”

 

***

 

A few minutes later, they were making their way to the first stop of the night: The Mission Intelligence Center. Pidge was hoping it would have more information on the Kerberos mission than what was released in the news. Mission Intelligence, a large room with computers that stored information about every past, present, and future mission funded by the Galaxy Garrison, was off limits to students. Lance had seen it on a tour during his first day, but hadn’t been near it since. He always dreamed of visiting it again as a graduated pilot being briefed for his first mission, but apparently he was going to get in there sooner than he had imagined.

When Pidge first mentioned his desire to begin the investigation there, Hunk was skeptical. “There’s no way we can get into that place without setting off an alarm.”

Pidge had responded with a cryptic, “Don’t worry. I have a way.”

It seemed like Pidge had been preparing for this investigation for a long time. He had memorized the routes of every patrol guard, from how much time they spent in each hallway to which paths they would take. He knew where every security camera was, and how to avoid them. At one point he muttered, “It would probably be easier if I just hacked into the camera feeds. Maybe next time.”

Lance and Hunk looked over at each other with wide eyes like, " _Who is this guy?”_

Remarkably, the three of them were working together better than they ever had during flight simulations. During the sims, they would end up bickering, or Hunk would get sick, or Pidge would criticize Lance and he’d get defensive, or all of the above. Now they were working together like a real team, and this time they were on a real mission. Lance still wasn’t sure how he felt about Pidge’s theory, but in the moment, racing through the halls with his team felt like the beginning of something incredible.

“Mission Intelligence is at the end of the next hallway.”

“I’ll lead the way!” His spirits higher than ever, Lance quickly turned the corner - and slammed right into someone.

He stepped back in alarm, and his jaw dropped when he recognized the other person. “Keith?”

Keith had moved into a defensive position, as if he was ready to fight them off. He was wearing a bandana that covered most of his face, but it was definitely him. Lance recognized the black skinny jeans, bulky utility belt, heinous red crop jacket, and of course, the mullet. “Who are you?”

“Who am I? Uh, the names _Lance._ ”

The other boy dropped his stance as if Lance wasn’t a threat, but otherwise didn’t react. He looked behind Lance, to Hunk and Pidge, with a confused expression.

“We were in the same class at the Garrison?” Lance hated the way his tone lifted at the end of the sentence, as if he was unsure. Of course he wasn’t unsure. He stumbled onward, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. “I’m a pilot. We were like rivals! You know, Lance and Keith, neck and neck.”

Recognition flashed in Keith’s eyes, and he pulled off his bandana. “Oh, I remember you. You’re a cargo pilot.”

Trying to look bolder than he felt, Lance moved forward until there was little space between him and Keith. “Not anymore. I’m fighter class now, thanks to you washing out.”

“Congratulations.” Keith said dryly, as if he couldn’t care less. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get going.”

“And so do we.” Pidge cut in, attempting to drag Lance and Hunk towards the Mission Intelligence Center.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Lance said, stepping in front of Keith again. “You’re trespassing on Garrison property.”

“And you’re sneaking out of the barracks.” Keith leveled with him. Lance had at least an inch on Keith, but the ex-cadet’s confidence was unwavering. Neither of them backed down, glaring at each other with clenched fists.

“Yeah, you got us there, man. So how about we go our separate ways and pretend this never happened?” Hunk apprehensively eyed the knife strapped to Keith’s belt.

Keith nodded. “Deal.”

“Wait.” Pidge stopped him before he ran off. “Are you sure you didn’t trip any alarms when sneaking in? If anyone was alerted, they could be heading our way right now.”

“I was careful.”

“I sure hope so.” Lance scoffed. “If you blow our cover-”

Keith cut him off with a laugh. “What could _you_ be doing that’s so important? Sneaking out for a midnight snack?”

“I’ll have you know,” Lance ignored Pidge, who was currently trying to shush him. “We’re in the middle of a very important investigation.”

That caught Keith’s interest. “Investigation?”

Before Lance could continue, Pidge gave him a glare that was threatening enough to make him swallow his words. “It’s none of your business. A patrol guard’s going to come down this hallway in exactly one minute, so you better get going.”

Keith didn’t move. Indecision crossed his features, and then he spoke. “I came here to investigate the Kerberos mission failure.”

And for a moment there, Lance had been thinking the night couldn’t hold any more surprises. Keith, the former Garrison prodigy turned mysterious drop out, complete with shaggy hair and dark circles under his eyes, was sneaking around for the same reason they were. Hunk and Lance looked to Pidge, who was sizing up Keith, as if he was trying to determine whether or not Keith could be trusted. “You were close friends with Takashi Shirogane, right?”

It may have been Lance’s imagination, there was a hint of sadness in Keith’s eyes when Shiro was mentioned. It was gone in a second, and Keith shifted back to a neutral, unreadable expression. “I was.”

“Follow me.” Pidge said. With that, he started down the hallway, away from Mission Intelligence.  

Keith looked to Hunk and Lance, surprised. Hunk shrugged. Lance raised a challenging eyebrow at Keith, although he wasn’t exactly sure what he was challenging him to. They followed Pidge to a more secluded hallway, one with no security cameras or passing patrols.

Pidge focused on Keith, who looked slightly curious, but also like he wanted to bolt. “My name is Pidge.”

“Okay…”

“What do you know about the Kerberos mission?”  

“Why should I tell you?”

“Because we’re investigating it, too.” Pidge explained. “Maybe we can join forces.”

“No way.” Lance butted in. He wasn’t about to let Keith Kogane, of all people, join their team. Especially not after that less-than-heartfelt reunion. “This is _our_ secret mission.”

Pidge shot another glare his way. “Lance! He might have information we need!”

Keith had the audacity to roll his eyes. “Who said I want to join your  _‘mission’_ anyway?”

Pretending not to be hurt by Keith’s mocking tone, Lance said, “There’s no room for dropouts on this team.”

“I didn’t drop out. I got kicked out.”

“That’s arguably worse.” Hunk noted.

Lance laughed, a little too loudly.

Suddenly they heard pounding footsteps from around the corner. “Who’s there?”

“Run!” Pidge whispered, darting down the hallway.

Exchanging panicked looks, the others followed suit. The patrol guard was close behind, but he hadn’t spotted them yet. Leading the way, Pidge made sure to avoid hallways that would have guards or cameras, but it was only a matter of time before the guard following them alerted the others. It was only a matter of time before they were _caught_ , and Lance didn’t know what would happen if they were found with Keith, who had somehow broken into the Garrison.

When they came to a fork in hallway, Pidge and Hunk went left while Lance and Keith ran to the right. _Great,_ Lance thought, but it was too late for him to turn around and head the other way. The patrol guard was still calling after them, and of course he was coming down the hallway that Lance and Keith chose. Lance cursed inwardly as they neared a security camera. He lowered his head, but there was no way he could avoid being recognized. Not when he was wearing the same damn jacket he wore every time he was out of uniform.

Keith was right next to Lance, their strides matching. _Neck and neck._ He whispered to the other boy, “I could probably take that guy out.”

“What?” Lance almost tripped over his own feet.  _Keith fucking Kogane._ “You’re insane, just run!”

They came to a set of double doors. Lance knew an alarm would go off when they were opened, but their only other alternative was turning around and facing the patrol guard, which Lance did not think was a good idea. Thankfully, Keith must have agreed, because he pushed the doors open without slowing his pace. Right away, a blaring alarm went off. The rest of the Garrison would be waking up now, and Lance had nowhere to hide. They were surrounded by open desert, they had already been caught on camera, and a guard was going to burst out of the door any second. _It’s over,_ Lance thought hopelessly.  _I’ll be expelled, my family will be so disappointed… I’ll never get to be a real pilot._

At least he was serving as a distraction. Since the guard was following him, maybe Hunk and Pidge would avoid getting caught. That counted for something.

“This way!” Keith yelled, heading towards the back of the Garrison.

Lance followed him, only because it was his last option. They dashed behind a warehouse just before multiple guards slammed the Garrison doors open. The screeching alarm was ringing in Lance’s ears, only rivaled by the pounding of his heart. By some miracle, the guards ran right past the warehouse. As soon as they turned a corner, Keith took off running again, this time heading for a small cluster of bushes. A bright red hoverbike was hidden there, gleaming in the darkness.

Keith jumped onto it, and then looked at Lance expectantly. “Get on.”

“On that thing? Are you crazy?”

Before Lance could blink, Keith grabbed his arm, yanking him onto the hoverbike and taking off.

It was all Lance could to not to scream as Keith sped off into the desert, leaving the Garrison in the dust. During his time as a cadet, Keith was known for his risky, instinctual piloting, and now Lance was experiencing it firsthand. Lance considered himself to be quite the daredevil - the flight simulator never made him sick, and there was no rollercoaster that he wouldn’t brave, but Keith’s driving was something completely different. It was reckless, unpredictable, and _why were they speeding up?!_ Much to his embarrassment, Lance found himself instinctively wrapping his arms around Keith’s waist.

To be fair, he was definitely going to fall off if he didn’t find something to hold onto. It’s not like he would choose to be that close to Keith in any other situation.

They rode like that for another few minutes, without slowing down, despite the fact that no one was following them. Keith stayed silent, while Lance tried to remember how to breath, occasionally yelping whenever Keith made a sharp turn.

After a while, Lance got the courage to open his eyes. He hadn’t even realized how tightly they had been screwed shut. He was becoming used to the rapid speed of the bike, and the fluttering feeling in his stomach as they bounced over rough terrain. If it hadn’t been a dire situation, and if he was with anyone other than Keith, Lance had to admit it would actually be kind of nice. The wind was cold against his face, but refreshing. There was something about their speed that made the rocky, barren desert seem beautiful as it flew by. Gazing upwards, Lance took in the night sky with a look of awe on his face. The stars were magnificent. Bright and sparkling, just out of reach, they dotted the sky like diamonds.

Lance loosened his grip on Keith’s waist, but didn’t let go. He wondered if Keith was seeing the desert in the same way he was, like it was more than just cacti and rocky hills, but something marvelous. He examined Keith’s steady grip on the on the handlebars as he confidently weaved around sagebrush and over hills. Carefully, Lance leaned forward as far as he could, twisting so he could catch a glimpse of Keith’s face. Keith’s intense eyes were trained on the path ahead, until he stiffened and scowled at Lance.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“I- Nothing! Can you slow this thing down?” Lance felt his irritation rise along with the heat in his cheeks. “No one’s even following us.”

“Better safe than sorry.” Keith muttered, but he eased on the brakes.

When they came to a stop, Lance quickly detached himself from Keith and jumped off the bike. The gravity of the situation hit him all at once. They were surrounded by darkness, in the middle of nowhere, miles away from the Garrison. “What were you thinking, dragging me out here?”

“I saved your butt.” Keith said, stepping off the bike. “You should be thanking me.”

“Oh, my brave rescuer!” Lance’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “How will I ever thank you for throwing me onto your terrifying  _thing_ and dumping me miles from civilization?”

“I don’t have time for this. Tell me what you know about the Kerberos mission.”

“You first.” Lance was totally bluffing, but he wasn’t dying to admit that he had no information whatsoever.

The other boy sighed, pulling his red jacket closer around his body. His voice was quiet. “That was my first night sneaking in. I don’t know anything yet. All I have is a hunch.”

Lance raised a skeptical eyebrow. “A hunch?”

“I have a strong feeling that the Garrison is covering something up. I just don’t have any proof yet.” Keith explained, sounding a lot like Pidge did when they were hiding in the supply closet. Confident, strangely convincing, yet with nothing to back up their claims. “That’s why you should tell me what you and your friends have figured out. All I need is somewhere to start.”

“And what makes you think I’ll give up my intel?” Lance crossed his arms, trying to sound more self-assured than he felt. “I thought you weren’t interested in joining our secret mission.”

Keith’s glare rivaled even Pidge’s. “I’m not.”

“Then I think we’re done here.” Lance replied, even though he had no idea where they were or how he was going to get back.

“ _Please,_ Lance.” He said it through gritted teeth, but there was desperation in his eyes. “I have to figure out what happened to Shiro. I can’t… I’m not going to give up on him.”

As he listened to Keith’s pleading voice, Lance felt guilt twisting around in his stomach. He looked down at his shoes, admitting the truth with a weak voice. “I don’t know anything, okay? It’s Pidge’s investigation, not mine.”

Keith blinked. “What?”

“I don’t have any information.”

“You don’t have any-” As Keith processed this, his desperation quickly turned to anger. “God, you’re such a… You seriously don’t know anything about the Kerberos mission? Nothing at all?”

“Um, the Kerberos mission… supposed to be six months long… retrieving ice samples…” Lance stammered, repeating everything from the countless times it was on the news or brought up during lessons. “Failed due to pilot error.”

“Are you kidding?” Keith yelled, his voice booming in the quiet desert. “Did you even know Shiro?”

“Of course I did. I mean, I knew of him.” He couldn’t imagine actually _knowing_ Shiro. That guy was a legend. Lance had even met him once, although he doubted Shiro remembered. He never understood why Shiro was so close with Keith, despite the two being years apart in age. _Maybe “prodigy” pilots stick together,_  Lance thought bitterly.

Keith went on, oblivious to Lance’s jealousy. “He was the best pilot at the Garrison. The least likely to fail out of anyone. And we’re supposed to believe that the mission failed because he messed up? A mission they spent years preparing for?”

Lance had never thought about it that way. Sure, the news about the Kerberos mission failure was shocking to everyone, considering Shiro’s piloting skills, but accidents happened. No one had any reason to question it… or did they? “But why would the Garrison lie?”

“They’re hiding something, and I’m going to figure out what it is.” Keith said, his voice filled with determination. “I’ll do it without you, or anyone else. Not that you’re much help, anyway.”

Despite his pride being long past wounded, Lance tried to defend himself. “Maybe we would’ve found something out if you hadn’t interrupted us.”

“Uh huh. Since you’re so passionate about the truth.”

“I was helping out a friend.” At the mention of Pidge, Lance started to worry about whether or not he and Hunk safely escaped the security guards. They could be in a world of trouble, while he was out in the desert, bickering with Keith. “Listen, this has been great and all, but I have to go. Hasta la _later._ ”

Head held high, Lance began walking into the open desert with no sense of direction. The night was somewhat chilly, and uncomfortably dark, but he wasn’t planning on spending another second with Keith. If that meant walking alone through a barren desert, so be it. _Just a man and and his thoughts,_ Lance mused. Just Lance and his anxious, restless, fear-filled thoughts-

“Where are you going?” Keith called after him, breaking the silence.

“Back to the Garrison.” Lance replied, without turning around or stopping.

“I can drive you, you know.”

“No thanks.” He yelled back, quickening his pace.

Keith still hadn’t moved away from his precious hoverbike, but he continued to call after Lance. “You could be expelled if they figure out it was you.”

He knew that. In fact, it was all he could think about, along with his guilt over Pidge and Hunk possibly being expelled too. All of this was technically his fault. If the guard hadn’t heard him laugh, they would still be investigating right now. He was the one to mess it up, and somehow, he was going to be the one to fix it. “I’ll figure something out.”

“You’re being ridiculous, Lance. You’re not even walking the right way.”

At that point, Lance had walked so far away that when he turned around, Keith was only a dark silhouette. “Um. I knew that. I was… testing you.”

“Will you just come here?” Keith shouted, as earnestly as he could given how loud he had to yell to span the distance between them.

Lance ran a hand through his hair, trying to decide what to do. His options were not looking good, but he needed to get back to the Garrison as soon as possible. Assuming no one would recognize him from the security video, he would have to find a way to sneak back into the school and make sure Hunk and Pidge were okay. If they had recognized Lance, he was going to find a way to cover for his friends. To take the blame. And unfortunately, the fastest way to get back would be to take Keith up on his offer. “Fine,” Lance said, making his way back to Keith. “Only because I need to get back to my friends.”

It was hard to tell in the darkness, but Keith looked a little sympathetic. “What will you do if they were caught?”

“I’ll figure it out.”

With nothing else to say, they got onto the hoverbike and Keith fired it up. His driving wasn’t quite as reckless now that they weren’t paranoid about being followed, but he was still going dangerously fast, as if that was the only speed he was comfortable at. Lance observed Keith, who had visibly relaxed after jumping onto the bike, like he was in his element. Purely out of stubbornness, Lance refused to hold onto Keith’s waist this time around, so he opted for gripping either side of the bike. It was a slightly precarious endeavor, much less comfortable than holding onto Keith, but again, Lance was stubborn.

Keith didn’t comment.

 

***

 

The first rays of a morning sun were starting to peak out over the horizon when they reached the Garrison. Keith rolled to a stop once they were close to the facility, but far enough away that they wouldn’t be spotted. Lance stumbled off the hoverbike, his lack of sleep starting to sink in. Other than a muttered “thanks” from Lance, neither of them said much. Without another word, Keith sped towards the sunrise. It should have been the last time he ever saw Keith, riding off into the desert with the wind in his stupid mullet, but Lance couldn’t shake the feeling that they would meet again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m back from a long hiatus and super excited about this fic! kudos and comments are appreciated!  
> (ps: i’m only using he/him pronouns for pidge in this chapter because lance doesn’t know she’s a girl)
> 
> twitter:[carryonklance](https://twitter.com/carryonklance)


	2. I wanna know that you're somewhere out there

After a long and stressful night, Lance shuffled into his dorm room, wanting nothing more than to collapse onto his bed and pass out. He was immediately met with a relieved hug from Hunk. “Lance! Where have you been?”

Pidge was sitting at his desk, typing away at his laptop. “You’re lucky you didn’t get caught. The Garrison is freaking out.”

“How did you two get away?” Lance asked. “I thought we were all dead!”

He shrugged. “We snuck back to the barracks.”

“Oh,” Lance said. “That would’ve been…”

“Practical?”

“Sane?” Hunk offered.

Lance crossed his arms. “Boring.”

“So you decided to ride away with Keith? The cameras caught everything, you know.”

“Wait, what?” Lance felt his anxiety rise. “I just walked past two Commanders in the hall and they didn’t even look at me.”

Pidge smirked. “You underestimate my hacking powers. I deleted the security footage before anyone else saw it. Only Hunk and I know about your little joyride with Keith.”

“It wasn’t what I would call a joyride,” Lance grumbled, before smiling kindly at Pidge. “Thank you, by the way.”

Pidge gave a thumbs up in response, as if hacking into Garrison security camera footage was no big deal. “So, they put us on lockdown last night. Hunk and I got back here just in time.”

“No way.” Lance couldn’t believe he actually caused a lockdown. He didn’t know if he should be proud of himself or ashamed. Maybe both?

“It was intense.” Hunk said. “This morning they announced that someone had been sneaking around the Garrison last night. Luckily, they’re not suspecting any students. They found signs of a break in.”

“Keith.”

Pidge nodded. “I guess he wasn’t as careful as he claimed. Anyway, all the Garrison told us was that the security cameras ‘malfunctioned’ and didn’t catch anything.”

Lance finally felt like he could breathe. He wasn’t going to be expelled after all.

“It’s going to get harder for us to sneak out, though.” Pidge said. “They’re installing more cameras, and they’ll probably increase the amount of patrol guards. We’ll have to wait until things die down to continue the investigation.”

“We better be careful. I am _not_ going through that stress again.” Lance complained.

Hunk laughed. “You would’ve been busted without Keith.”

“I guess we’ll never know, considering the fact that he _dragged_ me onto the bike and rode away while I hung on for dear life.” Lance said bitterly, not specifying exactly what (who) he had been holding onto.

“Details, please.” Pidge flipped his chair around, facing Lance.

Hunk did the same. “Yeah, what happened after you guys got away?”

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Lance sat down on his bed. He told them about the escape on the hoverbike, arguing with Keith in the desert, and the ride back to the Garrison. He left out certain parts, like being scared to death on the bike, holding onto Keith, walking away from him and almost getting lost in the desert… those parts weren’t important, right? He then explained how he waited until morning to approach the Garrison. Before going inside, he ran into a fellow cadet, who had acted like everything was normal and didn’t immediately report a Lance sighting to the authorities, so he figured he was in the clear, by some miracle. A miracle named Pidge, apparently.

“Let me get this straight.” Pidge frowned at Lance disapprovingly. “You argued with Keith instead of asking him to join the investigation.”

“What? Why would I ask him to join?”

“It sounds like he’s going to be investigating either way. Joining together would be much more efficient.”

“Not happening.” Lance said. “I will not let Mullet Boy join our team.”

Pidge groaned. “Remind me why I let _you_ join again?”

“Because of my charming good looks?” Lance grinned, laying across his bed and striking a dramatic pose. “Am I right, Hunk?”

“Looking good, buddy.”

Not amused, Pidge slumped in his seat. “Neither of you are taking this seriously. Maybe I was wrong to tell you the truth.”

“Have you… told us the whole truth?” Lance questioned, tentatively. After seeing Pidge’s upset expression, he didn’t want to make it worse, but he had a feeling Pidge was holding something back. “I mean, why are you so interested in the Kerberos mission? Why do you get so defensive every time the instructors mention it?”

Pidge took a deep breath. “You’re right. I haven’t been completely honest with you guys. The investigation wasn’t my only secret, there’s… a lot more to it than that.”

Hunk and Lance exchanged curious glances before the former spoke up. “You don’t have to tell us if you-”

“No,” Pidge cut him off. “I want to.”

Lance shifted nervously while Pidge got his thoughts together. The tension in the room was tangible, and they only had a few minutes before it was time to get to class. Having spent the most of the night hiding outside the Garrison, Lance should’ve been tired, but suddenly he felt wide awake.

After a minute, Pidge spoke up again. “My real name is Katie Holt. It was my brother and dad who went on the Kerberos mission, and when they… when the mission failed, the Garrison wouldn’t give me or my mom any answers. One night I snuck into Iverson’s office, but he caught me before I could find anything. I was banned from the Garrison, permanently. So I decided to be more careful this time around, and became Pidge Gunderson. That’s why it’s so important to me to find out what really happened.”

It was silent for a moment, as Lance and Hunk took in everything Pidge said, looking at him- no, _her_ in a new light. Something occurred to Lance. “Does your mom know you’re here?”

“Oh, she knows.” Pidge laughed quietly. “She even helped me fake my way in under the name Pidge. We had to forge official documents and stuff like that. But she doesn’t know about whole investigation thing… I just don’t want to worry her.”

Lance understood where she was coming from. During his phone calls home, he always tried to keep things light, even if he had just crashed the simulator or gotten in trouble for something stupid. Of course, he knew his parents would always support him, but he hated to cause them any stress. Most of all, he was terrified of disappointing them. He couldn’t even imagine being in Pidge’s position. Breaking out of his thoughts, Lance said, “Your secret’s safe with us, I promise.”

Hunk nodded in agreement. “Thanks for telling us, Pidge.”

She smiled shyly in response, before abruptly getting back to business. “Speaking of the investigation… We need Keith.”

" _Need_ is kind of a strong word.” Lance said with a weak voice.

“Come on, Lance!” Pidge grinned, knowing that there was no way he could talk her out of it. “It might be useful to have someone on the outside. And because of how close he was with Shiro, he’s probably just as determined to find out the truth as I am.”

Once she said that, Lance realized that Shiro might have been the reason Keith flunked out. The two of them had always been so close; maybe losing Shiro was what brought Keith over the edge. Not much was known about Keith’s life before the Garrison, other than the fact that he was an orphan and received some sort of mentorship opportunity with Shiro. At school, Keith’s background didn’t matter because of how insanely skilled he was at piloting. Keith seemed to have everything Lance wanted: an abundance of natural talent, the chance to work with a legend like Shiro, respect from every instructor and student. As soon as Keith got kicked out, Lance had written him off immediately, ready to take over his spot in fighter class. But he had never considered how hard the Kerberos mission failure must have hit Keith… Maybe there was a lot more to him than Lance had originally thought.

Back to reality, Hunk was talking. “Even if Keith would agree to work with us, I don’t know if we could find him. Rumor has it, he’s off the grid.”

Pidge tapped her fingers on her lap, thinking. “He’ll sneak in again sometime. We just have to catch him, preferably before the Garrison does.”

“I don’t know about him, honestly.” Hunk replied. “He seems dangerous. Don’t you think, Lance?”

“Maybe.” Lance said, still deep in thought.

 

***

 

Two weeks later, it was time to sneak out again. Well past midnight, Hunk anxiously paced back and forth in their room, while Pidge typed rapidly at her computer. Lance was sitting on his bed, trying to fight off his exhaustion after a long day at school. In the days following the lockdown, the Garrison had been extra strict on security, warning students that sneaking out of the barracks would now lead to more serious consequences. Pidge was working on the final details of her plan to bypass the security cameras.

“Done!” She said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Check it out.”

Lance and Hunk peered over her shoulder at the laptop. Side by side views of the security camera feeds were on the screen, one side labeled _actual_ and the other labeled  _pg version_. As far as Lance could tell, there were no differences on either side. Both showed the patrol guards passing through dimly lit Garrison hallways. “PG version?”

“Pidge Gunderson version,” She answered, grinning mischievously. “The left side of the screen shows what the cameras are actually picking up. The right side, my version, is a recording of last night’s patrols, and it’s the version that will be broadcasted to the guards in the surveillance room.”

Hunk considered this for a second. “So that means…”

“To anyone watching the camera feeds, we’ll be invisible.”

Lance was about to thank Pidge for her pure genius when he saw a flash of red on the screen. Looking closer, he watched a figure slowly moving down one of the hallways. “Ugh. I found Keith.”

“What?” Hunk and Pidge leaned in closer as the figure passed another security camera. “Are you sure that’s him?”

He watched as the person dashed around a corner, crouching down to avoid being spotted by a patrol guard. The stealthy figure was sporting a bright red jacket, messy dark hair that reached his shoulders, and moved purposefully through the darkness, like a living shadow. It was definitely Keith. Unable to give any other explanation, Lance said, “I would recognize that mullet anywhere.”

“I think that’s our cue, then.” Pidge stood up, giving the others a determined look. “Let’s catch up to him.”

With Pidge’s access to the security camera feeds, it was pretty easy to locate Keith. All they had to do was avoid the patrol guards, which proved to be doable as long as they were careful. Eventually, they found him in a secluded hallway, rummaging through his utility belt. He wore a dark bandana over his face, just like the last time they met.  

He hadn’t seen them yet, so Lance spoke up. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Keith jumped slightly, which gave Lance a little bit of satisfaction. His eyes narrowed. “ _Y_ _ou._ ”

“Welcome to our investigation, Keith.” Pidge interrupted, holding out her hand.

Keith stared at her outstretched hand with disdain. “Who said I want to join you?”

Undeterred, Pidge said, “Face it, you need us.”

“I don’t need anyone.” He responded coldly, already walking away.

“Without us, that security camera would have picked you up and you would’ve been caught in seconds.” She pointed to a small black camera mounted on the ceiling that Lance hadn’t even noticed.

Keith stopped, glancing up at the camera with a bored look. He frowned at Pidge, saying, “That’s why I disguised my face.”

“You call that a disguise?” Lance chuckled. “The mullet gives you away.”

“I don’t have a mullet.” Keith said, straightfaced.

At that, Lance doubled over laughing. “Yeah, sure you don’t. Good one, Keith.”

Pidge punched Lance’s arm, trying to silence him. “Lance! Shush.”

“Hey, I was being perfectly quiet.”

“Someone could’ve heard you from a mile away!” Hunk replied, nervously looking around, as if a patrol guard was going to appear any second. “Remember last time?”

Lance didn’t need reminding. Defeated, he mumbled, “Someone could spot that _mullet_ from a mile away.”

“If you messed with the cameras, they’re gonna notice.” Keith said, ignoring Lance’s taunt.

Pidge shook her head, wearing a smug grin. “Not when I’m the one messing with them. Now let’s move. A guard is coming this way in thirty seconds.”

They followed Pidge through the maze of hallways, getting farther and farther away from the barracks. To everyone’s surprise, Keith came with them. Only pausing a few times to hide from passing patrols, they soon arrived at the Mission Intelligence Center. Stopping in front of the door, Pidge looked to Keith. “So, what do you say? Are you in?”

Keith didn’t answer. Instead, he suspiciously eyed Mission Intelligence. “How are you planning to get in there?”

In response, Pidge reached into her pocket and held up a small key card that read _Samuel Holt - Senior Commander_ with a picture of her father smiling modestly. Given Commander Holt’s high position, that key card could probably get them into almost any room at the Galaxy Garrison.

“Why do you want me to join so badly? Clearly,” He gestured to the key card, “you don’t need me.”

“It’ll be safer to talk inside.” Pidge said, eyeing the dark hallways.

Holding his breath, Lance watched as Pidge approached the door. Without hesitation, she swiped the key card, and the door unlocked. Lance was relieved it actually worked, despite Commander Holt no longer being an active member of the Garrison. The four of them quickly filed inside and shut the door behind them, already feeling a lot safer now that they were out of the halls. The Mission Intelligence Center was smaller than Lance remembered, and a little underwhelming in the dark, with no Garrison personnel working at the computers that lined the walls.

Pidge met eyes with Lance and Hunk. “I’m going to tell Keith the truth.”

Lance nodded in response, showing his approval. He still wasn’t eager to add Keith to the team, but Pidge was too determined to be reasoned with. Telling Keith the truth about who she was would probably be the best way to convince him to join.

Keith, perplexed, waited for her to continue.

“My real name is Katie Holt.” Pidge said, staring at the key card in her hand. “Commander Holt was my father, and my brother, Matt, was also on the Kerberos mission. They’re the reason I’m working so hard to find out what the Garrison is hiding. Shiro… he’s your reason, right?”

“Yeah.” Keith whispered, almost to himself, with the same sad, distant look in eyes he got whenever Shiro was mentioned.

“That’s the reason I want you to join us. You understand what I’m going through, and you care about the truth just as much as I do.” She explained, getting more emotional as she spoke. “What I want more than anything is to figure out what really happened to them. I know the Garrison is holding something back, and we owe it to Shiro and my family to find out the truth.”

“We will.” Keith placed a comforting hand on Pidge’s shoulder. “We’ll find out. I promise.”

Pidge smiled hopefully up at him. “So you’ll join us?”

“Yes.” He said firmly, but then looked at Lance and Hunk with an uncertain expression. “If I’m wanted.”

“What do you say, guys?”

Hunk shrugged. “It’s up to you, Pidge.”

“No, we’re a team.” She responded. “I want everyone to agree.”

“Well,” Lance sighed melodramatically, “I don’t like it, but if you really think this guy can help us, I’ll sacrifice and let him join the team.”

“For the record,” Hunk added, “I’m still nervous about _all_ of this, but I think we’re better off with Keith than we are without him.”

“Wow, Lance. What a sacrifice.” Keith said flatly. “How will we ever measure up to your strength?”

“You won’t.” He replied, winking. “But keep trying.”

Keith scowled, looking away. “I still think I’m better off on my own, but I’m willing to give this a try. For you, Pidge. Not for the cargo pilot.”

“I’m not-!”

Pidge cut Lance off before he could get started. “Enough bickering. Let’s get to work.”

As it turned out, Pidge mainly meant that she and Hunk would be getting to work, since they were the more tech-savvy ones. Lance and Keith watched as they turned on two computers. Pidge used Commander Holt’s login name and password to get them into the system. After a few minutes, they were able to locate all of the files related to the Kerberos mission and began to sort through them. Most of them were basic information about the ship, the flight plan, the mission goals, and so on.

“This isn’t exactly the juicy intel I was hoping for.” Lance admitted, feeling impatient.

“There could be a clue in any tiny detail.” Pidge said. “We need to read everything.”

“This is interesting…” Hunk muttered to himself while scanning over a page. He then explained to the group, “The spaceship used for the mission, VLD-16, is the most advanced ship the Garrison has ever created. It was basically overqualified for a trip to Kerberos and back, with every kind of safety feature imaginable. Not to mention, it required very little piloting other than take off and landing. One of the engineers described it as ‘infallible’.”

As Hunk spoke, Keith became more and more tense. “And they want us to believe the mission failed due to _pilot_ error? Shiro could never mess up something like that.”

“It’s definitely weird,” Pidge said, half focused on the page in front of her. “This page is just about the basic goal of the mission. _‘The ice underneath the surface of the moon Kerberos potentially hosts living cells. The main goal of the mission is the retrieval of ice samples in order to study the possible existence of life outside of Earth.’_ ”

“Nothing we haven’t heard before.” Lance stated.

Keith wore a thoughtful expression, with creased eyebrows and a far away look in his eyes. “What if they found it?”

“Found what?”

“Life outside of Earth.” He answered.

“Oh my god.” Lance gawked at the other boy, slowing realizing what he meant. “You actually believe in aliens. You think Shiro and the Holts were abducted by aliens.”

“They were trying to find the existence of life on Kerberos!” Keith argued.

“I don’t know, man.” Hunk said. “They were looking for living _cells_ in the ice, maybe some form of bacteria if they were lucky. Full fledged aliens? That’s something entirely different.”

“It’s not that far fetched.”

“Alien abduction?” Lance tried to hold in his laughter. “Sounds pretty far fetched to me, dude.”

Keith looked Lance dead in the eyes. “My father was abducted by aliens.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i started planning this fic before s6 came out, so keith’s father’s story is a little different.  
> hope you’re all enjoying this so far, and thanks for reading! :)  
> twitter: [carryonklance](https://twitter.com/carryonklance)


	3. A hurricane that started turning when you were young

_My father was abducted by aliens._ Keith’s serious voice echoed in Lance’s head.

It was silent for five long seconds, until everyone erupted into loud laughter.

Everyone except for Keith. “It’s not a joke.”

“Wait,” Pidge stopped laughing, giving him a concerned look. “You’re being serious?”

Keith was wringing his hands together, acting more nervous and timid than usual. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. I saw it.”

“What did you see?” She asked. Lance couldn’t tell if she was humoring him, or if she actually believed he was telling the truth.

“I was pretty young, but I remember waking up in the middle of the night to loud noises outside my house. I went out there, and my dad yelled at me, telling me to go back inside and hide. He was holding a gun. I’ve never seen him look that… scared before.” Keith paused, taking a breath. “I did what he said, but a few minutes later I heard screaming, so I looked out the window and… I saw an alien spaceship. I watched them take him, and then fly off until they disappeared. I tried to- well, there was nothing I could do. I never saw him again.”

Gently, Hunk asked, “Are you sure of what you saw? I mean, you were so young.”

“I know what I saw.” Keith’s voice was emotionless, but his jaw was clenched tightly.

“Did you see any aliens?” Lance joked. “Or did he get beamed up, like in the movies?”

“I only saw their ship. And yes, he… yeah.”

Lance snorted.

Pidge glared at him, and then looked at Keith sympathetically. “Did you tell anyone about what happened?”

Keith nodded, looking bitter. “I did. Of course no one believed me. I was just a kid. I should’ve known you guys wouldn’t believe me either.”

“So no one else saw the… alien ship?”

“It was dark.” He responded. “We lived out in the country, and the next house was half a mile away.”

“Oh! Were there any crop circles?” Lance couldn’t resist asking.

“Lance.” Pidge warned.

“What?” He went on, oblivious to Keith’s upset expression. “You can’t have aliens without crop circles.”

“It’s not a joke.” Keith said, his voice quiet but threatening. “That was the last time I ever saw my dad. It’s not a fucking joke.”

“I-” For the first time, Lance really looked at Keith, trying to see past his harsh demeanor. He looked… hurt. _Shit._ He had opened up about something personal, and Lance managed to turn it into a joke. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

Keith brushed him off, staring at the ground. “Whatever, Lance.”

Pidge spoke up, breaking the tension. “Listen, I’m not going to rule out your theory, Keith. My father was a firm believer that we aren’t alone in the universe. That’s why he was so passionate about the Kerberos mission. All he ever wanted to do was prove the existence of life outside of Earth, whether it was in the form of tiny bacteria or freaky green dudes from old alien movies. So who am I to say that what you saw wasn’t real?”

Keith’s expression softened slightly.

“She’s right.” Hunk said. “As much as it gives me major existential anxiety to admit, we’re literally just a tiny floating speck in a universe of giant proportions. Who knows what’s out there? I’m sorry for laughing at you, man.”

“It’s okay.” He replied quietly. Hunk held out his fist, and after a moment's hesitation, Keith gave him an adorably awkward fist bump.

Without giving himself a chance to overthink it, Lance threw his arms around Keith’s shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. Keith stiffened, but didn’t move away. “Uh… Lance?”

All in one breath, Lance started rambling, “I’m sorry for being such a jerk, Keith, I shouldn’t have joked about it like that, especially when it must have been hard for you to open up to us, and I just shot you down like an asshole, fuck, you can punch me in the face if you want, would that make you feel better? I totally deserve it, I shouldn’t have laughed at your story, I’m such a-”

“Lance. I don’t want to punch you.” Keith said. When Lance continued to ramble, he repeated it loudly. " _Lance._ It’s fine. Seriously. It’s okay.”

“Oh.” Lance breathed. At some point Keith had hesitantly placed his hands on Lance’s waist, and Lance was just noticing it now. His hands were warm. “Okay.”

“Okay. Can you let go now?” Keith pulled back slightly, looking up at Lance’s face. His small smile did something weird to Lance’s heart that he decided not to dwell on.

“Um, yeah. Sorry.” Lance stepped away, blushing.

“Ooookay.” A sinister grin appeared on Pidge’s face when she saw Lance’s red cheeks, but she didn’t say anything. “Shall we get back to work?”

“Yep!” Lance said, with a little too much enthusiasm.

They refocused on the computers. It was silent for a few minutes, while Pidge and Hunk sorted through various documents. At one point, Pidge leaned forward in her seat. “Hey, I think I found something.”

Everyone crowded around her computer. The screen read _Kerberos Mission status updates._  “These updates were input by someone here at the Garrison. They must have been tracking the ship.”

Pidge began to read them out loud:

“June 20th: Kerberos mission launch successful. VLD-16 on track to reach Kerberos in three months.

July 2nd: VLD-16 now passing Mars.

July 19th: VLD-16 has safely exited the asteroid belt.”

The updates went on like that for a while. Pidge quickly skimmed through them, and then started reading again. “September 17: VLD-16 on track to reach Kerberos in three days. September 20th… what the hell?”

“What is it?” Lance asked, leaning closer. He read the final status update out loud. “September 20th: Kerberos mission terminated.”

“Terminated.” Keith repeated. “What does that mean?”

“That’s a weird way to say the mission failed.” Hunk squinted at the computer screen, as if he didn’t believe what he was seeing. “Like, really weird.”

“If the mission actually failed due to pilot error, they would have written that.” Pidge pulled her laptop out of her backpack and opened it up. “I’m going to make a copy of this file. This is proof that there’s more to the Kerberos mission than they’re letting on.”

“Why would they use the word ‘terminated’?” Lance asked. “I don’t get it.”

Pidge agreed. “Failed means some sort of accident, or a mistake. Terminated… has an entirely different connotation.”

“I hate to say this,” Hunk started, looking queasy. “But what if something happened on the mission, like something that the Garrison was at fault for? If the ship had a faulty part, or something went wrong with their spacesuits… I don’t know, maybe the Garrison tried to put the blame on Shiro so they wouldn’t have to take the fall for it.”

At the thought of that, Keith stiffened. He looked like he wanted to punch something, or someone. “I can’t believe they would do something like that.”

“We don’t know for sure, but… it does make sense.” Lance said with a quiet voice. He was starting to lose faith in the Galaxy Garrison, the place he had dreamed about since he was a kid. It was sickening to think the higher ups at the Garrison would destroy Shiro’s legacy just to save their own.

Keith took a deep breath, wearing a neutral expression, but his knuckles were white. “What now?”

“I think we’ve done enough for one night.” Pidge answered, logging out of the computer. She sounded exhausted. “I say we disband for the night, and continue investigating tomorrow.”

Lance hadn’t realized how tired he was until then. “Sounds good to me.”

“My dad’s key card should get us into most of the rooms, although I do want to break into Iverson’s office again.”

“Again?”

“Yeah.” Pidge shrugged, not even noticing Keith’s shocked expression. “Got caught last time. Long story.”

Through a yawn, Hunk said, “Well, my bed is calling my name. And we’ve got a big physics test tomorrow, plus a flight sim.”

“Ugh,” Lance groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

Keith nodded, looking as tired as Lance felt. “I better get going, too. It’s a long drive back to my place.”

“Where exactly is your place?”

“I’ve got this shack further out in the desert.” He explained. “If you want, we could keep our research there.”

“That can be our secret headquarters!” Pidge grinned.

Keith smiled at the idea, one of those soft smiles that were becoming increasingly more common from him.

Before they all dropped from exhaustion, Keith explained that earlier in the day he was able to sneak into the Garrison unnoticed while classes were going on, and then hid until lights out. Thanks to Pidge’s hacking abilities, Keith would be able to get in and out of the Garrison much more easily from then on. All she had to do was disable the alarm for him, which she did before they went their separate ways that night. While Hunk, Pidge, and Lance retired to their dorm, Keith rode back to his place out in the desert. Despite being worn out from a long night and anxious about what the Garrison could be hiding, all four them felt confident that they would uncover the truth.

 

***

 

“Keith must be pretty lonely out there.” Hunk remarked, just before Lance began to drift off to sleep.

“He seems like a lone ranger type of guy. I’m sure he’s fine.” Lance brushed it off, but he frowned as he started thinking about it more. Coming to the Garrison had been a shock for him, after spending his life in a chaotic, busy, loving household. Thanks to immediate friendship with Hunk and plenty of phone calls home, Lance had adjusted to life at the Garrison aside from occasional bouts of homesickness. For Keith to be completely alone, with no family, friends, or anyone to depend on… Lance couldn’t imagine what kind of loneliness that would bring.

He fell asleep with Keith on his mind, dreaming of dark eyes, uncertain smiles, and red.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo i was hoping to have this all written and posted before s7 came out because i felt like this fic would be a lot more enjoyable before we have real answers about the garrison. but alas, now we know the release date and i know i won’t have it done by then so pls just stay with me no matter what happens in canon okay??? lmao  
> as always, kudos and comments are appreciated and thank you so much for reading!
> 
> twitter: [carryonklance](https://twitter.com/carryonklance)


	4. Put me on the run, pull the trigger while it's fun

Lance pulled on the controls, willing himself to come up with a solution. There was no way they could make it to the landing site, even at the speed they were going, which meant they only had one option. “We’re gonna have to make an emergency landing!”

“The landing site is only thirty miles away,” Pidge responded, furiously typing on her screen. “Can’t we make it?”

“Not with the fuel we have left.” Lance said grimly. “Pidge, I need you to scan the area and find us a safe place to land. Hunk, we’ve got an electromotive stabilizer out. I need it working before I can land this thing.”

“We’ve got bigger problems,” Hunk yelled back, sounding queasy. “The engine is failing.”

Lance tried to steady his breathing. “Okay, I’m going to land before it _completely_ fails.”

With a panicked voice, Pidge said, “We can’t hit the surface at this speed, Lance, we’ll crash!”

“I can do this. The atmosphere’s friction will slow us down.” Lance knew it might not be enough, but he tried to sound confident. “Find me somewhere to land.”

“I’m sending you the coordinates now.” They popped up on Lance’s screen as soon as Pidge said it.

Faster than he thought possible, Lance rerouted the ship and started to descend. Meanwhile, Hunk was frantically working at the back of the ship. “I’ve got the stabilizer back online, but the engine could fail any second- _ack!_ ”

The ship jolted forward, causing all of them to jerk against their safety belts. Lance didn’t know if the ship’s sudden shakiness had something to do with his piloting or the engine malfunctioning; he was too focused on slowing the ship down so they wouldn’t be blasted to pieces when they hit the surface. The planet’s atmosphere was helping to ease their speed, but it was ultimately up to Lance to make sure they landed safely. Pidge and Hunk had done everything they could, and now they were depending on him.

Lance didn’t know which was more terrifying - the extremely realistic view of the surface of Mars coming right at them, or the reality that it was all a test and everyone was watching. Despite all of the malfunctions, he had enough control to slow the ship down just in time. They slammed into the surface of the planet with enough force to cause some damage, but safely enough that Lance and his teammates were unharmed. The rocky planet disappeared before them as the screen went black.

_Simulation complete._

The three cadets sat in silence for a moment, catching their breaths. They were quickly interrupted by the doors sliding open and Iverson calling for them. “Roll out, cadets.”

Nervously, they hustled out of the simulator and stood before their classmates and the Commander. Lance tried to read Iverson’s expression, but couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “Can anyone tell me what these cadets did wrong?”

Lance’s heart dropped.

“The pilot forget to check the fuel before lifting off.” Someone spoke up.

“They didn’t make it to the landing site.”

Another girl called out, “Their landing caused significant damage to the surface of Mars.”

“All correct.” Iverson said, his voice harsh and loud. His gaze fell on Lance, who tried to stand tall despite his increasingly strong desire to curl into a tiny ball and disappear. “Forgetting to check the fuel is a rookie mistake, one that disrupted your mission and could have cost the lives of you and your teammates. Do I need to remind you that the only reason you’re in fighter class is because Kogane flunked out?”

“No, sir.” Lance responded, trying to keep his voice even despite the sinking feeling in his stomach. “I’ll do better next time.”

“Good.” He said. “Now, can anyone tell me what this team did _correctly_?”

“The engineer fixed the stabilizer quickly.”

“They did an emergency landing before it was too late.”

“Yes, but most importantly, they were working together, instead of the bickering we usually see from this team.” Iverson barked. He then turned to Lance, Hunk, and Pidge. “The simulation was still a complete disaster, but your teamwork has improved. Next time, keep up the teamwork but _don’t_ crash the simulator, and you might keep your spots in fighter class after all.”

 

***  


After everyone had finished their flight sims, Lance shuffled out of the testing room with a frown. “Do you think they’re really considering kicking us out of fighter class?”

“He was just trying to scare us.” Pidge shrugged, stopping at the door to her next class. “Oh, by the way, I found new _intel_ , if you know what I mean. I’ll explain later.”

She headed into the classroom. Lance was too busy kicking himself over the flight sim to even wonder about whatever Pidge had found out. “I can’t believe I didn’t check the fuel. I thought the simulator ship always had enough fuel.”

“They were just trying to mess with you, man.” Hunk tried to comfort him. “On a real mission, it would be triple-checked, and it wouldn’t even be our job to worry about that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Lance said half-heartedly, giving Hunk a fist bump before they headed into their separate classrooms. He couldn’t help but feel like he had let his team down, especially if the threat to kick them out of fighter class was genuine. Every time he seemed to be improving in the simulations, the next one would be worse. The last thing he wanted to do was to be the reason that Hunk and Pidge lost their chances in fighter class.

As soon as class started, Lance felt his phone vibrate. It was a text from Keith.

 

 **Keith:** Do you guys wanna come to my shack today and plan the investigation?

 

They had all exchanged numbers the night before, so Lance wasn’t sure why Keith was texting him instead of Hunk or Pidge. He replied, _yeah! but how will we get there?_

 

 **Keith:** I can pick you guys up

 _Lance:_ okay. 3 pm?

 **Keith:** Sure

 _Lance:_ sounds good

 

Lance tried to refocus on whatever his professor was rambling on about, but to his surprise, Keith continued to text him after their plans were set.

 

 **Keith:** Are you in class rn?

 _Lance:_ yep. history of astronomy w/ montgomery

 **Keith:** Damn. That class sucks

 _Lance:_ ur mullet sucks

 **Keith:** This conversation is over now

 _Lance:_ thank god

 **Keith:** I changed my mind, only Hunk and Pidge are invited today

 _Lance:_ thank god

 **Keith:** You think you’re hilarious, don’t you?

 _Lance_ : im changing ur contact name to mullet boy

 **Mullet Boy:** I do not have

 **Mullet Boy:** A mullet

 _Lance:_ ur contact name says otherwise!!

 **Mullet Boy:** Why are you like this

 _Lance:_ i just realized we need codenames

 _Lance:_ ur mullet boy, obviously

 **Mullet Boy:** Why do we need codenames?

 _Lance:_ because we’re secret agents!! pidge has one

 **Mullet Boy:** Okay, how about Cargo Pilot?

 _Lance:_ no that's inaccurate

 _Lance:_ mine will be loverboy

 **Mullet Boy:** Loverboy??

 _Lance_ : because all the ladies love me, duh

 _Lance:_ your choices are mullet boy and dropout

 **Mullet Boy:** I didn’t drop out

 _Lance:_ and im not a cargo pilot sooo

 **Mullet Boy:** Didn’t you have a flight sim today?

 _Lance:_ dont remember _._

 _Lance:_ didnt happen.

 **Mullet Boy:** That bad?

 _Lance:_ shhhhhhhh

 **Mullet Boy:** Who was your instructor?

 _Lance:_ iverson aka i got yelled at

 **Mullet Boy:** Yeah, Iverson sucks

 _Lance:_ ….ur mullet sucks

 **Mullet Boy:** Not this again.

 

***

 

The rest of Lance’s classes flew by. He tried to pay attention to what his instructors were saying, but Keith was quite the distraction. Texting him was… kind of fun? It helped to take his mind off the failed flight simulation, at least.

Soon enough, it was the end of the school day. After changing out of their uniforms, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge met up with Keith at the edge of Garrison property. Lance wasn’t sure what he had expected, but he was surprised to see Keith roll up on his hoverbike. Probably due to the desert heat, Keith had ditched his usual red jacket and was wearing a slim fitting gray v-neck. His hands, sporting black fingerless gloves, were wrapped around the handlebars, ready to go.

“Um,” Hunk began. “Is that thing going to fit all of us?”

“She can handle it.” Keith said, straight-faced but with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Lance laughed. “She?”

Keith smirked in response, motioning for them to get on the bike.

In hindsight, Hunk probably should have been seated directly behind Keith for a more stable ride, but Lance had that spot, with Pidge behind him, and Hunk in the back. Once everyone was on the hoverbike, Keith took off, while the others yelped and fumbled for something to hold onto.

Lance had seen Keith during flight simulations. He and the other cadets had watched in awe as Keith confidently tackled every situation that was thrown at him with alarming speed and intuition, as if flying was the most natural thing in the world for him. Seeing him fly for the first time had instilled a conflicting mixture of respect and jealousy in Lance. Maybe it was the reason he had decided they were “rivals” in the first place. The way that Keith rode the hoverbike was a slightly more contained version of what he did in the flights sims - wild but graceful, fast but controlled.

Now that Lance was used to it, he loved the adrenaline rush he got from Keith’s risky driving, but Hunk wasn’t having it. After a lot of complaining and very legitimate threats about throwing up all over the hoverbike, Keith grudgingly slowed to a more moderate pace.

“Hey, don’t blame me, blame my weak stomach.” Hunk said.

With genuine curiosity, Keith asked, “How do you survive the flight sims?”

“Everyday is a struggle.” He replied, only half joking.

Soon enough, they pulled up to Keith’s place. The run-down shack was underwhelming, to say the least. It only had one small room and a bathroom, and by the looks of it, Lance was shocked that it even had power. In the main room, there was a couch, a makeshift table, a dresser, and a few gadgets lying around. The most noticeable part of the room was the wall opposite the couch, which was completely covered in photos, maps, and sticky notes with messy handwriting. It looked like something out of a detective show, or more aptly, a conspiracy theorist’s bedroom.

“How did you find this place?” Pidge asked.

“I was kind of…” Keith paused, thinking. “Well, I was drawn here. I don’t know by what, exactly. I was actually going to ask you guys something.”

“What?” Pidge prompted when Keith fell silent.

He went on, struggling to find the right words. “While we’ve been out in the desert, have any of you… _felt_ anything? Like, some kind of energy?”

The others exchanged confused looks.

“It’s hard to explain.” Keith continued. “After getting booted from the Garrison, I was kinda lost, and found myself drawn to this place. It’s like something… some energy, was telling me to search.”

Lance tried to understand what Keith meant by ‘energy’, but he didn’t feel anything unusual. “For what?”

He moved towards the wall, pointing at one of the maps. “I don’t know yet. I’ve narrowed it down to these rock formations not far from here, but it’s still a huge area. I was hoping it could be connected to Shiro, or the Garrison somehow, but…” Keith’s voice became quieter and quieter until he trailed off. He glanced at the others, looking dejected. “You guys must think I’m crazy.”

Lance thought about it for a moment, taking in Keith’s downcast expression, and his small, weather-beaten shack. He thought about Keith, who got kicked out of the Garrison after losing someone he cared deeply about. Who, as far as anyone knew, witnessed something awful happen to his father. Who was now living in an abandoned shack in the middle of the desert, completely alone. Lance spoke up, saying, “I don’t think you’re crazy.”

Keith looked at him, lips parted in surprise.

 _I just think you’re lonely_ , Lance thought, but didn’t say it out loud. “We should definitely look into it sometime.”

“Yeah,” Pidge agreed. “As soon as we solve the Kerberos mystery, we can move onto this one!”

“You really want to?” Keith asked, doubtful.

“Of course we do. We’re a team now, right?” Lance loved the idea, and he especially loved the way that Keith’s eyes lit up when Lance reassured him. Everyone agreed that figuring out the reason behind whatever energy Keith felt would be their next mystery. _One adventure after another,_ Lance thought, smiling to himself.

After that, it was time to focus on their current investigation. Pidge took a seat on Keith’s couch, opening up her laptop. “So, I was online the other day, trying to find any kind of dirt on the Garrison, and I think I stumbled across something pretty big.”  
“What is it?” The others crowded around her laptop, nervous excitement filling their stomachs.

“Blog posts, articles, and videos that criticize the Garrison are being mysteriously deleted.” Pidge explained. “It seems like we’re not the only ones who have started to question the truth about the Kerberos mission, but someone is doing everything they can to stop it from spreading.”

“No way.” Lance breathed. No matter how much Pidge and Keith doubted the Garrison, Lance was still shocked every time they found more evidence against them.

“Yes way.” She said, pulling open a screenshot of a webpage. “There’s this popular conspiracy theory blog called The Third Eye, and when they started posting about the Garrison, the entire website got deleted. Luckily, I got a screenshot of one of their posts before it was taken down.”

Keith frowned at the screen, obvious disappointment showing on his face. “Wait, The Third Eye got taken down? I loved that blog.”

Unable to stop himself, Lance laughed. “Of course you would read a blog like that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Anyway,” Pidge cut in. “Do you want me to read the post or not?”

“Ignore them.” Hunk said. “I want to hear this.”

As much as he enjoyed pushing Keith’s buttons, Lance also wanted to hear whatever the blog said that caused it to get deleted. Once everyone was quiet, Pidge read from the screenshot. “The post is called ‘ _Why the silence?’._ It says,  _Of everything about the Galaxy Garrison’s failed Kerberos mission that creates the most suspicion, it’s the silence that really makes the Garrison look fishy. Why was the Garrison so silent after the mission failed? Before take off, the Kerberos mission had plenty of news coverage, to the point where everyone on Earth knew exactly what the mission was, who was on it, and what it could achieve. It was the first long range space mission manned by humans, and the first one to fail, causing the loss of three important members of the Galaxy Garrison. After a failure of this magnitude, you would expect in depth explanations from Garrison officials, and memorials to commemorate the lost crew members. Instead, all that was released to the public was a vague statement about “pilot error”, essentially pinning all blame for the mission failure on pilot Takashi Shirogane. Following that statement was months and months of silence from the Garrison. According to one of my sources, they specifically do not allow questions about the Kerberos mission to be asked in news interviews. Why hasn’t the Garrison given more information as to what exactly happened? If they were so confident beforehand that the mission would be successful, what could have gone wrong? Who is truly at fault? If those at the Garrison have nothing to hide… Why the silence?_ ”

Lance whistled. “No wonder that got taken down.”

“Persuasive, isn’t?” Pidge replied. “Now we know two things for sure. First, if the higher ups at the Garrison are deleting everything that makes them look bad, it means they’re getting scared. And trying to censor people is only going to make them look worse. Second, we know we’re not the only ones who don’t trust Garrison. Others are starting to realize there’s more to the Kerberos mission than they’re letting on.”

“If the Garrison is going to drastic measures to protect their image, we really need to be careful.” Hunk said. “We can’t do anything that will make them suspect us.”

Pidge nodded. “As cadets, hopefully we’ll be safe. Keith just has to stay under the radar.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure they’ve forgotten all about me by now.” Keith said, with a hint of bitterness in his tone.

Lance laughed dryly. “They definitely haven’t.”

“What?”

“Nothing… it’s not important.” He responded, wishing he hadn’t said anything.

Hunk must have known what Lance was referencing, and he quickly changed the subject. “Well, it’s great that we’re not alone in questioning the Garrison, but this blog only had, what, a few thousand followers? And now it’s gone.”

“Oh, Dawson won’t go down that easy.” Keith said. “I’m sure they’ll find a way to start posting again.”

“Dawson?”

“The person who runs The Third Eye.”

Lance felt a smile creeping onto his face. “Dawson probably believes that Mothman is real.”

“Mothman  _is_ real.” Keith challenged.

“Oh my god.”

 

***

 

“Uh, do you want some gummy worms?” Keith asked awkwardly, after a few minutes of standing next to Lance in silence. Pidge and Hunk were pouring over Pidge’s computer, working on something they hadn’t bothered to explain.

“Sure.” Lance said, following Keith to the kitchen area, which was really just a mini fridge and a small pantry stocked with a various packaged and canned foods.

Hunk grinned at the sight of the gummies. “Oh, pass those over here!”

Lance took a handful and then tossed the bag to Hunk and Pidge, who happily dug in. He eyed Keith’s meager food supply thoughtfully. “How do you get the food?”

“A grocery store in town. It’s a long drive, so I only go a couple of times a month. Less, if I can manage.” Keith explained. “Packaged foods are the cheapest, and the canned stuff stays good longer.”

“And the gummy worms?”

The corners of his mouth turned up in a half smile. “Guilty pleasure.”

Before Lance could press further, questioning Keith about whether he got enough to eat, and if he needed any help getting food, Keith had a question of his own. “What did you mean earlier, about the Garrison not forgetting me?”

Lance avoided his eye contact, nervously chewing on a gummy worm. “Oh, it’s nothing really. Sometimes the instructors bring you up during flight sims.”

“Oh. What do they say?”

“Well…” Lance hesitated. “It’s mostly Iverson.”

“Nothing good, then.” He laughed grimly, and Lance got the feeling there was a story behind that.

“I mean, you were one of the best pilots at the Garrison, and he still talks about that sometimes. Uses you as an example.”

Keith looked confused. “A good example?”

“It depends.” Lance took a breath. If Keith could be honest with them about his past, then it was only fair that Lance opened up about something as small as this, as much as he dreaded it. “Half the time he tells me not to end up like you, and half the time he reminds me that I’ll never be as good as you were. That I’m only in fighter class because you flunked out.”

Lance didn’t know what he was expecting - for Keith to laugh in his face? But he was still surprised that Keith looked angry. “Iverson’s just an asshole. I’m sure that’s not the only reason you’re in fighter class.”

“Well, considering the fact that I got in a few days after you left…” Lance said, trying to sound like it wasn’t a big deal.

“Yeah, but-”

Pidge cut them off with a groan from across the room. “Your signal sucks out here, Keith.”

“I’m aware.” He sighed. “What are you doing, anyway?”

“Have you guys noticed all those new shipments coming into the Garrison?” She asked. “I’m trying to hack into some emails and figure out what they are.”

Lance had noticed an increased amount of shipments, but the Galaxy Garrison was part of a larger military base. All kinds of stuff was sent in and out all the time, so he hadn’t thought anything of it. “Do you think they’re important?”

“Could be.” Pidge said, her eyes scanning over a page on her laptop. “But I’m not finding anything. Every email refers to them as the ‘new shipments’, with no other information.”

“Maybe we should break in tomorrow night and check it out.” Keith spoke up.

Nervously finishing the last of the gummy worms, Hunk said, “Uh, wouldn’t the shipments be in a restricted area? Bad idea.”

“My dad’s key card should get us in there.” Pidge replied. “And we’ll be fine, no one will be near the shipments in the middle of the night.”

“Tomorrow, then?” Lance asked, feeling slightly nervous but mostly eager.

Pidge nodded. “I think we should split up. Lance and Keith will find out what the shipments are-”

Hunk cut her off with a hopeful voice. “And I’ll sneak into the kitchens and get us some snacks?”

“No, you and I are going somewhere that even my dad’s card can’t get us into.”

“Where would that be?”

She grinned. “Iverson’s office.”

 

***

 

Once their plan was set, it was time to get back to the Garrison. As exciting as the investigation was, Hunk, Pidge, and Lance had to deal with other things: namely, homework. As they exited the shack and walked towards Keith’s hoverbike, Lance called out, “I’ll drive!”

“No!” Hunk and Keith yelled at exactly the same time.

Everyone burst into laughter, even Lance, to the point where they all had tears in their eyes, and Keith’s smile rivaled the blinding desert sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading and thank you for all of the nice comments!! i appreciate it!
> 
> twitter: [carryonklance](https://twitter.com/carryonklance)


	5. With nights like these, who needs the days?

**Keith:** Hey loverboy

 _Lance:_ asdjkfdsfj;ldf

 _Lance:_ what

 _Lance:_ ?????

 **Keith:** I thought you said that was your codename?

 _Lance:_ oh

 _Lance:_ yeah

 _Lance:_ hi mullet

 **Keith:** How’s school?

 _Lance:_ same as ever

 **Keith:** Are you in class?

 _Lance:_ nope, lunch

 _Lance:_ can i ask you something?

 **Keith:** Sure

 _Lance:_ do you ever miss the garrison?

 **Keith:** Yeah I miss air conditioning

 

It took Keith a while to send that response. His reception was always bad, but Lance wondered if it was because he was holding back. As much as he wanted to know Keith’s honest answer, he decided not to push it.

“Who are you texting?” Hunk asked through a mouthful of food.

“Keith.”

“Hm.” Hunk grunted in response.

 

 _Lance:_ hot day?

 **Keith:** I’ve never been sweatier in my life

 _Lance:_ how charming

 **Keith:** Shut up

 **Keith:** I’m cutting all of my hair off

 _Lance:_ what?

 _Lance:_ maybe don’t do that

 **Keith:** It’s way too hot to have long hair

 _Lance:_ you’re not being serious

 **Keith:** I am holding a knife to my hair right now

 _Lance:_ pUT IT DOWN

 **Keith:** Why do you care? You make fun of my mullet all the time

 _Lance:_ so you admit you have a mullet

 **Keith:** No

 **Keith:** I’m cutting it

 **Keith:** Right

 **Keith:** Now

 _Lance:_ NONONONONONO

 _Lance:_ STOP AT THIS INSTANT

 _Lance:_ PUT DOWN THE KNIFE MULLET BOY

 **Keith:** But I’m so hot

 _Lance:_ im hotter ;)

 **Keith:** I found some scissors, should I try those or use my knife

 _Lance:_ NEITHER

 **Keith:** Those are my only options

 _Lance:_ STOP

 _Lance:_ PULL YOUR DAMN HAIR UP

 **Keith:** …

 **Keith:** Not a bad idea

 _Lance:_ wtf

 _Lance:_ you are unbelievable

 **Keith:** [image]

 **Keith:** The mullet is intact

 

Lance almost dropped his phone. The picture he sent showed Keith with his hair pulled back, a hint of a smile on his lips. “What the hell is this?”

Pidge glanced at the screen. “That’s Keith. Remember him?”

“No- I mean… he sent me a _selfie,_ like, what the fuck? And his hair is, oh my god… his hair is in a ponytail.”

“Wait, are you blushing?”

“No!”

“Dude,” Hunk said, suppressing a grin, “You’re definitely blushing.”

“I’m definitely _not_.”

 

 _Lance:_ good, i didnt know what i was gonna do if i couldnt call you mullet boy anymore

 **Keith:** That’s why you were so concerned?

 _Lance:_ yup

 **Keith:** I’m sure you would come up with some other insulting name

 _Lance:_ thnks for believing in me  <3

 **Keith:** Sure thing, cargo pilot

 _Lance:_ yeah i liked it better when you called me loverboy

 **Keith:** Hm, too bad

 _Lance:_ whatever mullet man

 **Keith:** You ready for tonight?

 _Lance:_ hells yeah, you?

 **Keith:** I’m ready. I just hope we find enough proof to expose the Garrison with

 _Lance:_ what do you think will happen when we expose them…?

 **Keith:** I don’t know, I guess I haven’t thought that far ahead

 _Lance:_ i haven’t either

 **Keith:** Whatever happens, I just want to redeem Shiro

 **Keith:** After it’s all over… I don’t know what I’ll do then

 _Lance:_ idk whats gonna happen to the garrison  

 _Lance:_ but the next thing we’re gonna do is solve ur mystery

 **Keith:** Are you sure you want to? I know the whole thing sounds kinda ridiculous

 _Lance:_ nah it sounds EXCITING

 _Lance:_ and it seems like its important to you. so of course i want to

While he was grateful for the subject change, Lance couldn’t get the Garrison off his mind. Everyone else seemed unconcerned about their plan to expose them, even Hunk. As for Lance, well… he wasn’t sure what was holding him back. He had been dreaming about the Galaxy Garrison since he was a kid. Getting his acceptance letter had been the best feeling in the world, like his life was finally getting started. And now he was slowly starting to lose faith in the Garrison, torn between his desire to the right thing and the dreams he wasn’t ready to let go of just yet.

“Lance?” Hunk was looking at him, worried. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” He replied, trying to keep his tone light. “I was just thinking… what do you think will happen when we expose the Garrison?”  
Pidge already had an answer. “I’m expecting a full investigation to happen. The public will demand it. And, well, I’m kind of hoping we’ll be let off easy for all of the sneaking around, and breaking and entering.”

Hunk swallowed. “Oh boy.”

“Uh, maybe we should release the information anonymously?” Lance offered, not exactly loving the idea of admitting to all of the times they snuck out after curfew. He had no idea what kind of trouble they would end up in, especially because they used Commander Holt’s key card to get into areas that were off limits to cadets.

“I thought about that, but don’t you think it would be more effective coming from cadets instead of an anonymous person?” Pidge responded. “We’ll be more credible, and besides, when I finally get justice for Matt and my dad, I want it to come from me.”

“That makes sense and all, but I really don’t want to go to jail.” Hunk said, nervously swirling around the potatoes on his tray instead of eating them.

“We’re minors. And we’re doing the right thing.” Pidge said, confident as ever. “They’ll see us as heroes, not criminals.”

Lance felt something hopeful flicker in his chest. “You really think so?”

“I do.” She said. “People don’t like being lied to. Once we expose the truth, they’ll be nothing but grateful.”

“Do you think the Garrison will be shut down?” Hunk asked.

“It’s part of the strongest military base on Earth.” Lance frowned. “It can’t just be shut down, right?”

“I don’t think they’ll be shut down for lying about the Kerberos mission. I bet they’ll revamp the whole system, hire new officials…” A small smile crept on to Pidge’s face. “Maybe we’ll be promoted.”

“Okay, now you’re talking.”

“Once _I’m_ in charge around here,” She said, now full-on grinning, “I’m going to continue my dad’s work. I’ll make sure everything he worked for won’t be ignored.”

Hunk straightened in his seat as if something had just occurred to him.“You know, I think I’d like to join the engineering research program. Maybe even run it.”

Leaning back in his chair with a cool grin, Lance said, “The first thing I’m gonna do is take a pretty lady on a _space ride._ ”

As he said that, his phone buzzed, lighting up to reveal a reply from Keith.

 

 **Keith:** Yeah, it is important to me. Thanks loverboy :)

 

Hunk glanced down at the phone, and then examined Lance’s blush with an mischievous look in his eyes. “Or a pretty boy.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Lance responded as they put away their lunch trays.

Spirits raised considerably, the three of them walked out of the cafeteria with matching grins on their faces. Lance wasn’t even sure he was smiling; maybe it was because in that moment, the future seemed brighter than he had ever thought possible. Maybe it was because of Keith, and his stupid selfie and stupid mullet and stupid smiley faces. _Or a pretty boy_ , he thought, allowing himself to go there for one second until he pushed it away again.

On their way to class, an instructor walked over to them, staring at Pidge with an unsure, slightly panicked expression. “Matt?”

Pidge froze for a second, and then forced herself to act casual. “Sorry, nope.”

The man shook his head, like he was trying to wake himself up from a dream. “Oh, I’m sorry. You just… you look like someone I used to know.”

“No worries!” Pidge said, smiling brightly. She walked away as quickly as she could without attracting attention, with Hunk and Lance right behind her.

As soon as they turned the corner, Lance asked, “Who was that guy?”

“Mr. Silva, one of the senior flight instructors. He knew Matt.” Pidge answered. Her tone was even, but her hands were shaking.

“Wait, that was Adam Silva? Shiro’s fiancee?” Lance asked. He had recognized the name immediately. Adam and Shiro had always kept their relationship fairly private, but they were two of the most well known guys at the Garrison, and everyone heard about their engagement last year.

“Yeah. Well, not anymore. They broke it off before the Kerberos mission, no one really knows why.” She explained. “Since Matt and Shiro were good friends, Mr. Silva must have interacted with Matt a lot. And if he remembers that Matt has a little sister…”

“Then it will only be a matter of time before he puts it together.” Hunk said.

Pidge stopped outside of her classroom. She bit her lip, glancing further down the hallway, as if Mr. Silva could turn the corner any minute. “I need you both to promise me something. If my cover is blown, you have to keep investigating without me.”

Lance shook his head. “It won’t come to that.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise,” He replied, “That it won’t come to that.”

 

***

 

“No, to your right.” Pidge directed.

Lance anxiously watched Keith moving on her computer screen, following her instructions. Hunk was still in bed, trying to get some sleep before they snuck out again. The security cameras were already taken care of, so it was only a matter of guiding Keith to their dorm room window and keeping him away from patrol guards. Pidge was simultaneously directing Keith while working on disabling the alarm for the window. Her eyes widened as she saw a guard appear out of nowhere, coming closer to Keith. “Ack! Get down!”

Faster than Lance had ever seen him move, Keith dove behind a trash bin just in time. As soon as the guard had passed, Keith grumbled, “A little warning would be nice next time.”

“Ugh, Lance, I need to figure out this alarm.” She said, passing the phone to him. “You help him.”

Keith was still behind the trash bin, barely visible in the shadows. Lance wasn’t sure why he felt nervous, but he picked up the phone with a pounding heart and said, “Hey.”

“Hey.” Keith replied, standing up. He wasn’t wearing his hair in a ponytail anymore, instead it hung around his face, framing his jawline. “Um, so… are you gonna tell me where to go?”

“Right. Um-” Lance took a breath. Suddenly Keith started moving on the screen. “No, not that way!”

Keith froze. “You said go right!”

“No, actually, I didn’t.” Lance huffed. “The coast is clear right now, so go to your left and then follow the wall of that building.”

“Got it.” He said, following Lance’s instructions at a quick pace.

“Next you’re gonna turn the corner and cross to the barracks on your right. I’m waiting for the guard to pass… okay, you’re good.”

Pidge perked up. “I got the alarm disabled!”

“Perfect timing.” Lance replied, and then returned his focus to Keith. “You’re almost there, just stay by the wall and we’re the fourth window.”

Hunk woke up as Pidge leaned over his bed and opened the window. “Aw, man, is it time already?”  
“It’s time for you to move. Keith’s coming in through the window.”

Lance’s heart started doing flips when Keith approached the window and met eyes with him. They both hung up the phone at the same time, and Keith gave him a weary but genuine smile. Lance beamed in return.

“Keep it together, loverboy.” Pidge whispered, winking at Lance.

“Shhh!” He responded, even though Keith hadn’t heard.

Okay, so  _maybe_ Lance’s feelings toward Keith had changed. A little. But Pidge was taking it way too far. It’s not like he had a crush or anything. Maybe he enjoyed texting Keith, poking fun at him, making him laugh. Maybe Keith’s smile had the ability to light up the entire universe, but acknowledging that fact didn’t mean Lance had a crush on him. Obviously not. And maybe Keith was cool and interesting and attractive and a total badass, with a soft side that Lance was dying to see more of…

Fuck.

Unaware of Lance’s internal panic, Keith frowned through the open window. It was going to be a tight fit.

“Hold this.” He muttered, passing his utility belt to Lance. After that, he was able to squeeze through.

Pidge and Hunk were busy going over how they were getting into Iverson’s office, so Lance sat down on his bed, still holding the utility belt. Curiously, he pulled out Keith’s knife and inspected it. It was small, but razor-sharp and dangerous looking, and he had a feeling Keith knew how to use it. There was some kind of symbol peeking out underneath where the handle was wrapped, but Lance couldn’t figure out what it was. He looked up at Keith. “Where did you get this thing?”

“My dad gave it to me.” He answered, sitting next to him. On the bed. On Lance’s bed. “Actually, it was a few days before he got abducted. He told me it was my mother’s, and that she wanted me to have it.”

“Is your mom, um…?” Lance didn’t know how to ask.

Keith seemed to know what he was getting at. “I don’t know. She left when I was a baby. I don’t even remember what she looks like. Dad never really talked about her much, but I think he still loved her.”

“Do you think it’s a coincidence? That your dad gave you the knife a few days before…” He paused. “You know.”

“You still don’t believe me.”

“I-”

“It’s okay.” Keith shrugged, his voice passive. “And no, I’ve stopped believing in coincidences. There’s something about this knife… does it look like anything you’ve ever seen?”

“Uh, the most I know about knives is using kitchen knives when my mama makes me help with dinner.”

Keith chuckled at that, which made Lance’s heart soar. “Well, the thing about my knife is…” He sighed, taking the knife from Lance and unwrapping it to reveal the strange symbol that almost seemed to glow. “I’ve been trying to research where it came from, but I haven’t been able to find anything else like it. I’ve even shown it to professional metalworkers, and no one has recognized the maker. I was hoping the knife would lead to some kind of answers, about my mom, or what happened to my dad… but I just can’t seem to figure it out.”

“What about the symbol?” Lance asked. “Do you know what it means?”

“I don’t have the slightest clue…” Keith’s voice was open and vulnerable as he stared down at the mysterious knife, not meeting Lance’s eyes. “There’s just so much about my past that I don’t understand.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Lance said, feeling the urge to grab Keith’s hand, or brush his hair out of his eyes. Instead of opted for semi-awkwardly placing a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Somehow.”

Keith looked at him with an expression that Lance couldn’t read. Before he could say anything, Pidge interrupted. She and Hunk were standing by the door. “Ready to go?”

“We’ve _been_ ready, slowpokes.”

Pidge rolled her eyes, handing her dad’s key card to Lance. “And you memorized the patrol routes?”

“Got it all in here.” Lance said, tapping his forehead.

“Alright. We’re meeting back here in one hour.” She replied. “Let’s do this.”

Hunk and Pidge bid them farewell as Lance and Keith headed to investigate the shipments. Keith was still looking at him with that unreadable expression, almost like he was seeing Lance in a new light. Lance hoped that was a good thing. On their way to the restricted area, Keith whispered, “Don’t you think it’s funny that we happened to be sneaking around on exactly the same nights? It’s almost like…”

Lance raised an eyebrow. “What, like fate?”

He shrugged. “Like I said, I don’t believe in coincidences.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed this chapter! the plot will start to pick up more in chapter 6. also, i just had to throw adam in! last name idea creds: [cloutclouds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloutclouds/pseuds/cloutclouds)
> 
> my twitter: [carryonklance](https://twitter.com/carryonklance)


	6. Your shadow weighs a ton

The restricted area was eerily quiet. As they walked farther, the building started looking less like a school and more like a military base. There weren’t as many guards there, given that it was strictly off limits to cadets and an area with high security alarms (not that they were any match for Pidge), but something about the place still put Lance on edge. Walking in silence, Lance and Keith quickly found the room where the shipments were being held. It seemed that commanding officers at the Garrison had unlimited access to almost everything, because Samuel Holt’s key card got them inside with no problem.

“Whoa.” Lance whistled. The room was a lot bigger than he had been expecting, and every inch of it was filled with boxes and crates of all different sizes. Some of them were neatly stacked on top of each other, while the ones closer to them where haphazardly strewn across the floor, clearly having already been opened and examined. “What is all this?”

“Time to find out.” Keith said.

It might have been his overactive imagination, but Lance thought he heard voices coming from outside of the room. “Wait- shhhhh! I think someone’s coming.”

They froze as the voices grew louder, stopping right in front of the door. Lance turned off the lights and then looked around frantically, searching for somewhere to hide. He spotted a rectangular crate at the edge of the room and threw it open, barely having enough time to register what was inside: a gun. A gun that was almost as big as him.

In the few seconds it took the people outside to open the door, Lance jumped inside of the crate, with Keith right behind him. Keith pulled the lid over the top of them and everything went dark. They weren’t in the most comfortable position, with Lance lying on top of a giant gun and Keith on top of Lance. He was pretty sure it was Keith’s knee that was digging into his stomach, but they didn’t have any time to adjust themselves. The voices from the hallway had entered the room. The overhead lights were flipped back on, and filtered through the small slits in the crate, just enough so that Lance could make out Keith’s nervous expression.

“Is this all of them?” A voice said. Lance immediately recognized it to be Commander Iverson.

“Yes, sir.” Someone replied. It was an adult male voice that Lance didn’t recognize. “All of the shipments have been accounted for.”

Lance was lying on top of one of those shipments, which was taking up most of the space in the crate. Hopefully the gun wasn’t loaded, or touch sensitive, but Lance stayed completely still just in case. Keith was intently listening to Iverson’s conversation. They were so close together that Lance could feel Keith’s heart pounding just as fiercely as his own.

“Yes,” Iverson was saying. “Tomorrow I have a team coming in to test them.”

“I hope you find them satisfactory. Of course, we can always make adjustments.”

Lance stiffened as their footsteps came closer. A few feet away from them, it sounded like Iverson opened one of the boxes. The unfamiliar man spoke up, “This gun has a five mile range. Instead of bullets, it shoots a laser that will cut straight through whatever it’s aimed at. In other words… make sure you test it outside, or the walls will be destroyed.”

That might have been the first time Lance ever heard Iverson laugh, and it left a sick feeling in his stomach. “Impressive,” Iverson mused.

During the next thirty minutes, Keith and Lance stayed still and silent, listening to more descriptions of various weapons. All of them were inventive, dangerous, and more deadly than anything the Garrison trained cadets with. Their crate was never opened, so Lance assumed they were laying on top of another wall-destroying laser gun. Not exactly a comforting thought, but at least it meant they wouldn’t be discovered.

As the voices moved further away, Keith started shifting. Lance tried to give him a warning look, but Keith raised his eyebrows in annoyance as if Lance was supposed to understand whatever he was doing. It seemed like Keith was trying to get into his utility belt, and that’s when Lance got it. He was reaching for his phone so they could record the conversation. Unfortunately, the belt was squished between Lance and Keith, which meant that Keith had to pull himself up so they could open it.

He lifted off of Lance ever so slightly, and the knife that was strapped to the back of his belt scraped against the top of the crate. They both froze, wearing the same panicked look.

“-these grenades could blow this entire building to pieces, if detonated.” The guy was still going on about his precious weapons. They were in the clear.

Lance let out a quiet, shaky breath, and then slowly unzipped the utility belt to find Keith’s phone. He started recording, hoping the phone would pick up the conversation. It was a good thing Keith remembered they were supposed to be filming and taking pictures whenever they got the chance - Pidge wanted to collect as much evidence as possible before releasing all of their information about the Garrison. As Lance watched the seconds go by on phone camera timer, wondering how much longer they would be stuck in the crate, Keith settled back on top of him, which was practical, really. It was unnecessary for Keith to have to hold himself up, and it would be dangerous if his knife scraped the top of the crate again, but Lance couldn’t help his frantic thoughts: _holy shit he’s on top of me wow okay everything’s fine we’re on a mission this is not the time for your stupid crush Lance oh my god I can’t believe I have a crush on Keith also did I mention he’s on top of me?_

Finally, it sounded like the men were getting ready to leave, which was a relief because Lance was starting to get cramps in every area of his body, and the feeling of Keith lying on him was really starting to sink in.

“Commander, what are all of these weapons for, exactly?”

“It’s your job to make sure they work,” Iverson responded, his voice like ice. “And my job to worry about what they’re for. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” The man responded, clearly nervous.

They heard the door open and close. Keith lifted his hand to open the crate, but paused when he heard footsteps. Someone was still in the room.

“Admiral Diaz. All of the weapons have been accounted for, and they’re being tested tomorrow.” Iverson said. He must have been talking on the phone. It was strange hear Iverson reporting to someone above him instead of commanding people below him, but he was talking to Admiral Helen Diaz, one of the highest ranking officials at the Galaxy Garrison.

Maybe he was just pacing with no direction, but Lance still tensed as he walked their way. “They’re better than anything we’ve had before, but we still have no idea what we’re up against.”

“If you’re right, then we may not be needing them at all.” Iverson stopped right in front of their crate, causing Lance’s heart to pound even faster than it already was. Keith closed his eyes tightly, as if he was bracing himself for the worst, and Lance placed a protective hand on his waist. They both held their breath, flinching at every move Iverson made until he finally walked away. Blushing, Lance quickly let go of Keith’s waist.

“We haven’t had any security breaches in three weeks. Whoever it was, they haven’t come back.”

They met eyes. Lance smirked at Keith with a look that said,  _we’re so good._ Keith rolled his eyes in response.

“No, we’re the only ones who know about it,” Iverson was saying. “And we’ll keep it that way until they come back…” He paused as Admiral Diaz spoke. Lance wished he could hear the other side of the conversation. “We’ll find it. We’re getting closer.” Another pause. “Goodnight.”

With that, he hung up the phone and left room. Keith and Lance stayed still for a minute after he turned off the lights and closed the door, just in case. After they deemed it safe, Keith lifted the top of the crate and climbed out. Lance followed his lead, pulling out his phone to text Pidge.

 

 _Lance:_ iverson might be coming your way. get out of there!!

Pidge replied immediately: We’re in our dorm please hurry back

 

“That doesn’t sound good.” Lance whispered. He might have been overly paranoid, but Pidge’s usual texts were littered with profanity and emojis, and she never forgot to use proper punctuation. Something bad must have happened.

Keith leaned closer to him to read the text, which didn’t help the hazy state of Lance’s head. He still felt dizzy after being so near to Keith for the past hour. “We better get going.”

As quickly as they could, they took pictures of all of the weapons, and then left the room. They made their way through the halls in silence, avoiding the patrol guards and working together like it was second nature. Lance’s heart fluttered every time Keith looked his way, but it didn’t stop the pooling anxiety in his stomach as he wondered about Pidge and Hunk. Obviously they had made it back without being discovered, so what could have gone wrong?

After what felt like forever, they were out of the restricted section and safe in the barracks. The first thing Lance saw when they entered his dorm room was Pidge, hugging her knees to her chest, with eyes that looked red from crying.

Hunk looked at Lance, distraught. “We found something big.”

All four of them surrounded Pidge’s laptop. “We had to wait a while for Iverson to leave his office,” she explained with a shaky voice. Keith and Lance exchanged knowing glances, because they knew exactly where Iverson had gone. Lance wanted to tell them about the weapons, and Iverson’s cryptic phone conversation, but whatever Pidge and Hunk found out seemed a lot more dire.

“Once we got inside, Pidge found a way to unlock his computer.” Hunk said. “All of the top secret files regarding the Kerberos mission were heavily encrypted, but we managed to get into a few of them.”

“Apparently they were recording audio throughout the mission. Not only from the ship, but they also had listening devices attached to everyone’s spacesuits, and it was being transmitted back to Earth. We found…” Pidge trailed off for a second, biting her lip. “We found some audio files from Matt’s spacesuit.”

“We had to sort through a bunch of audio, but… we found a clip from the day they landed on Kerberos.” Hunk said.

Keith’s eyes widened. “From when they landed? Does that mean you found out what happened to them?”

“Not exactly,” Hunk replied. “Uh...”

“Let’s just play it for them.” Pidge cut in, something grim and anxious in her tone. She pressed a button her laptop and Samuel Holt’s voice filled the room.

_“Easy son, this ice is delicate.”_

Matt spoke next. _“Amazing! Isn’t this exciting, Shiro?”_

Shiro’s was response was muffled. He must have been standing farther away from Matt, so the suit didn’t pick it up as well. _“You guys get a little more excited about ice samples than I do.”_

At the sound of his voice, Keith flinched. It was the first time he had heard Shiro speak since he left for the Kerberos mission.

Sam replied, _“This is history in the making. Not only have we traveled farther than any human ever has, but this ice could hold microscopic clues about the existence of life outside Earth.”_

 _“Think of it, dad! We could use those clues to become the first people to meet aliens!”_ Matt sounded optimistic and excited, the exact opposite of how Lance felt as they continued to listen. Everything sounded normal so far, but he had a feeling something was about to go wrong.

 _“My life’s work would be complete.”_ Sam replied.

Seemingly out of nowhere came a loud rumbling noise. Sam shouted, _“What is that? Seismic activity?”_

The the last thing they heard before the audio cut off was Matt’s frantic breathing and Shiro yelling, _“We should get back to the ship.”_

“I-is that it?” Keith asked. He was clenching his fists and staring at the computer screen, waiting for something else to happen.

“That’s the end of the clip.” Pidge said miserably. “I can’t tell if it was edited that way, or… maybe something happened to Matt, and…”

She didn’t have to finish that sentence. Everyone knew what she was thinking.

The audio clip was short, and it didn’t give them much information, but something important occured to Lance. “When they said the mission failed due to ‘pilot error’, I always assumed they crashed. But according to this, they landed safely.”

“So the Garrison lied.” Keith’s expression had gone from confused to panicked while they listened to the audio, and now he looked straight up murderous.

“But why would they lie about it?” Hunk asked.

“I don’t know,” Lance said, thinking out loud. “Maybe they didn’t want to deal with the fallout of telling everyone that it was some freak accident. Maybe they thought it would be easier to just pin it on Shiro’s piloting.”

“I’m not convinced.” Hunk replied. “There has to be more than what we heard. Why was it cut off like that?”

Pidge spoke up. “I’m not sure. Maybe they made it back to their ship. They could have crashed when trying to escape, or, I don’t know… they could still be out there somewhere.”

“Do you really think so?” Keith asked, a conflicting mixture of doubt and hope on his face.

“No.” She answered. “But I won’t give up hope until we know for sure.”

“What about that rumbling noise?” Lance asked. “Was it really seismic activity?”

Hunk frowned. “What else could it be?”

“You guys already know my theory.” Keith said. His vulnerability started to disappear as he forced himself to sound detached. Lance wished he wouldn’t do that.

“Okay,” Pidge said. “Let’s say it really was aliens. Why would the Garrison try to cover that up?”

“Um, maybe to avoid mass hysteria?” Hunk offered.

“But ignoring it wouldn’t be safe. If aliens were in our solar system, isn’t that something the Garrison would need to prepare for?”

That’s when Keith realized something. “Lance, the weapons.”

“Wait, you really think-” Lance stuttered. “ _Oh…_ there’s no way.”

“What else could they be for?”

“I don’t know, anything other than aliens?”

“Earth has been at peace for years.” Keith replied. “Why would the Garrison need weapons like that?”

“Hold up.” Hunk said. “What weapons?”

Keith filled them in, telling them that the shipments he and Lance went to investigate were actually weapons. Powerful ones, unlike anything they had seen before. He told them about Iverson’s phone conversation. They hadn’t been able to make sense of most of it, but the fact that he said, _“We have no idea what we’re up against”,_ well… Lance hated to admit it, but strangely enough, everything was starting to point towards the alien theory.

“So, we have the Garrison ordering complex weapons and not telling anyone, the possibility of aliens in our solar system… and now we know that Shiro and my family actually made it to Kerberos without pilot error?” Pidge put her head in her hands for a second, and then sat up and squared her shoulders, like she was fighting off her exhaustion. “I need to do some more hacking. And I think I have an idea about how to establish contact with my dad, Matt, and Shiro, if they’re still out there. Oh, and-”

“Pidge.” Lance cut her off. “The first thing you need is sleep.”

“No. If there’s even a chance that my family is still out there, I have to find them.”

“Lance is right.” Hunk said with a comforting tone. “It’s so late that none of us can think straight. You won’t be able to help your family if you’re exhausted.”

“Fine. But I’m waking up early tomorrow.” Pidge sighed, but judging by the way she could barely keep her eyes open, she had to know that sleep was the best course of action.

“I just wish there was something more I could do to help.” Keith said. The sadness in his voice made Lance’s heart ache.

“You can rest.” Lance told him. “Shiro would want you to take care of yourself.”

Keith nodded, a far away look in his eyes. “I better get going, then.”

The thought of Keith having to make his way back to his hoverbike in the dark and then spend another night alone in his shack was somehow too much for Lance to bear, so he said, “I’ll walk you to your bike. If you want.”

“Okay.” He replied. His tone didn’t give anything away but Lance noticed him relaxing a little at the thought of not walking alone.

After making sure they knew where to go, Pidge said, “I’m going to crash, then. I’ll turn the window alarm back on tomorrow.”

Hunk was already half asleep, so they quietly crept out the window without saying anything else. The security guards were still there, doing their endless patrol routines, so they made their way to the hoverbike in silence. It was impossible to read Keith’s expression in the darkness, but Lance figured he was still shaken up from hearing Shiro’s voice on the recording. He wished he could do something to help Keith feel better, and he was slightly afraid that his lack of sleep would cause him to try something stupid, like grabbing Keith’s hand and not letting it go.

It was safe to talk once they got to the hoverbike, which was hidden behind a patch of tall sagebrush. “Are you gonna be okay?”

“I don’t know.” Keith gazed at the empty desert stretching out before them. The silence hung heavily in the air before he continued, “I wish I could’ve stopped Shiro from going on the mission in the first place.”

“You couldn’t have known what was going to happen.”

“I had a bad feeling about it.” He replied. “I just… I really wanted to save Shiro. I wanted him to be okay somehow. That’s why I’ve been holding onto the alien theory. I wanted to save him like I couldn’t save my dad. But I’m starting to think something really bad happened to him. To both of them.”

Keith’s weak voice and watery eyes were slowly tearing Lance to shreds. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened to your dad, Keith. You were so young.”

“I just can’t help but wonder if I would’ve just done something differently… would he still be here?” Keith said. His gaze flickered from the sky, to the ground, to the dark horizon, looking anywhere but at Lance. “After I saw the alien ship take him, I ran outside. I wanted to help him somehow, even if it meant they would take me too. But the ship disappeared, and my dad was gone, and… there was nothing I could do. I ran to get help, but I passed out. My neighbors found me a day later, shivering and crying in the bushes outside their house. No one believed me about the aliens. They said I was making up a story to deal with my trauma, or some bullshit like that. I even believed it for a while.”

“Your dad would never blame you for what happened.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t blame myself.” He sounded exhausted. Defeated.

A cool breeze circled around them as Lance looked up at the night sky. “Maybe he’s still out there somewhere.”

Keith glanced at him. “I thought you didn’t believe in aliens.”

“After everything we’ve figured out about the Garrison… I don’t know what I believe anymore. But if Shiro, your dad, and the Holts are still out there, we’ll find them.”

“They could be anywhere. How would we even start?”

“We’ll start at one end of the universe and make our way to the other. Simple enough.” Lance shrugged. With a more sincere tone, he said, “We’ll find them, Keith.”

Shaking his head in disbelief, Keith replied, “You are annoyingly optimistic.”

“One of us has to be.”

Keith smiled at him for the first time since they listened to the Kerberos recording. It was a small smile, almost undetectable, but still a smile. “Thanks. For walking with me.”

“Of course.” Lance replied, trying to memorize the way Keith looked at him while also trying to ignore his inner monologue of _“hug him hug him hug him you idiot just hug him”_ because, damn it, he really wanted to hug Keith.

Before he worked up the courage to do so, Keith got on his bike and started it up. When looked at Lance, his smile had faded but the soft look in his eyes remained. “Goodnight. Be careful on your way back.”

“What,” Lance grinned. “You doubt my stealth skills?”

“No,” Keith responded seriously. “But be careful.”

“You too.”

Lance watched him ride away until he was left with nothing but the stars for company, and a feeling that fell somewhere in between contentment and longing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love supportive friends and bi disaster lance. hope you enjoyed this chapter! leave a comment if you feel so inclined :)
> 
> my twitter: @carryonklance


End file.
